Buttonhole gauging guide attachment especially for use with domestic sewing machines

ABSTRACT

A buttonhole gauging guide device is herein provided which is particularly adapted for use with domestic sewing machines. An Lshaped base member presents two legs extending mutually perpendicular with respect to each other. A first leg is provided with a slidable gauging arm which is movable toward the second leg and is supported to maintain parallel relationship therewith. The gauging arm is formed with a clamping portion extending in the plane of the second leg. The arm is further provided with an indicator projection which cooperates with an indicator marking on the base member to display, to a sewing machine operator, the necessary buttonhole length for a button disposed between the arm and the L-shaped base. The slidable gauging member may be spring biased toward the second leg of the base. The first leg may be formed with a raised track-like portion which may be of a hollow configuration to slidably support a guiding member. A threaded fasteneing means may be inserted through an aperture formed in the gauging arm to connect the gauging arm with the aforementioned guiding member supported within the raised tracklike portion of the base. The second leg of the base may be formed with an elongated slot for adjustably mounting the overall device to virtually any existing, conventional, domestic sewing machine.

United States Patent [1.91

Loeifler BUTTONHOLE GAU'G'I'N'C' CUIDE ATTACHMENT ESPECIALLY FOR USE WITH DOMESTIC SEWING MACHINES [76] Inventor: Karl Loefller, 323 Clearfield Ave.,

Trenton, NJ.

[22] Filed: July 14, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 162,589

[52] US. Cl 112/75, 112/115, 112/153 [51] Int. Cl D05b 3/06 [58] Field of Search 112/136, 75, 131, 112/115,110,104,105,153;33/190,189

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,613,446 10/1952 Heimlich 33/190 X 845,453 2/1907 Elliott 112/75 2,844,883 7/1958 Schwarz 112/131 X 3,137,254 6/1964 Enos et a1. 112/115 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 970,575 6/1950 France 112/75 286,280 7/1915 Germany 112/115 Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Sperry & Zoda [451 Aug. 14, 1973 which is particularly adapted for use with domestic sewing machines. An L-shaped base member presents two legs extending mutually perpendicular with respect to each other. A first leg is provided with a slidable gauging arm which is movable toward the second leg and is supported to maintain parallel relationship therewith. The gauging arm is formed with a clamping portion extending in the plane of the second leg. The arm is further provided with an indicator projection which cooperates with an indicator marking on the base member to display, to a sewing machine operator, the necessary buttonhole length for a button disposed between the arm and the L-shaped base. The slidable gauging member may be spring biased toward the second leg of the base. The first leg may be formed with a raised track-like portion which may be of a hollow configuration to slidably support a guiding member. A threaded fasteneing means may be inserted through an aperture formed in the gauging arm to connect the gauging arm with the aforementioned guiding member supported within the raised track-like portion of the base.

The second leg of the base may be formed with an elongated slot for adjustably mounting the overall device to virtually any existing, conventional, domestic sewing machine.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 14, 1973 24 I6 I02 I00 INVENTORY [42L LOEFFLE/Z ATTORNEYS BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to sewing machine attachments and, more particularly, relates to a combined gauging and guiding attachment particularly adapted for use with domestic sewing machines.

Among the most difficult tasks to be performed, on a sewing machine, is the formation of properly sized buttonholes in a complex piece of material.

Traditionally, such buttonholes must be measured and marked by chalk, pen, pencil, or the like, before the fabric is inserted in the domestic sewing machine for preparing the buttonhole. Such measuring and excessive movement of the fabric, is condusive to mistake and error so as to result in an unnecessary loss of material and time.

Existing buttonhole gauges are designed primarily for factory type sewing machines and are not adaptable for domestic use. Furthermore, such devices generally require that the fabric be marked, as mentioned above, so that error or mistake is very likely.

It would therefore be advantageous if an inexpensive and simple attachment were provided for assisting the domestic sewing machine operator in properly preparing buttonholes without requiring the marking of the material.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved buttonhole gauging and guiding attachment which is particularly adapted for domestic sewing machine use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a buttonhole gauging and guiding attachment which solves some of the problems confronting domestic sewing machine operators today.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a buttonhole gauging and guiding apparatus which is simple to operate.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a buttonhole gauging and guiding attachment which is inexpensive to manufacture so as to present a practical consumer item.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a domestic sewing machine attachment for forming buttonholes which attachment is adapted to be used with virtually any conventional, domestic sewing machine on the market.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a buttonhole gauging and guiding attachment for domestic sewing machine operation which requires no particular skill for the proper operation thereof.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a buttonhole gauging and guiding attachment for domestic sewing machines which aids an operator in saving time and material while forming buttonholes in complex garments.

At least some of the above-cited objects are achieved by the provision of a buttonhole gauging and guiding apparatus including a generally L-shaped base member having first and second leg portions. A gauging arm may be slidably mounted on the first leg portion and a first indicating means displayed on the gauging arm. A second indicating means is presented on the base member. Upon placing a button in clamped relationship be tween the arm and the second leg portion, the first and second indicators are operable to display, to a machine operator, the proper length of a buttonhole for the particular button clamped in the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS While the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in a concluding portion of the specification, a preferred embodiment is set forth in the following detailed description which may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a gauging arm of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, including a guide member associated therewith;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a base member included in the overall apparatus shown in FIG. I; and

FIG. 4 shows the preferred embodiment of the present invention properly mounted on the working surface of a conventional, domestic sewing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views thereof, FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

An L-shaped base 10 is formed to present a first leg 12 and a second leg l4. The side 15 of the leg 12 of the base extends at right angles to the leg 14 and serves as a guide for positioning the edge of a garment or fabric in which a buttonhole is to be made. A gauging arm 16 is slidably mounted on the first leg 12 and is so supported as to maintain parallelism with the extension of the second leg 14 during the sliding of the gauging arm 16 along the leg 12.

A pointed marker 18 is displayed adjacent the edge 15 of the leg 12 and in alignment with the button contacting edge 17 on the second leg. A second pointed marker 20 is displayed on a projection 22 extending from the gauging arm 16 to be parallel with respect to the second leg 14 of the L-shaped base 10. The extremity of the projection 22 is positioned a short distance outwardly from the button contacting edge 19 of the arm 16 so as to be spaced from the marker 18 a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the button located between the button engaging edges 17 and 19. The markers 18 and 22 therefore indicate the length of a buttonhole through which the button can be easily passed.

The gauging arm 16 may be adjustably mounted on the first leg 12 by a threaded fastening means 24 which may comprise a set screw, or the like. The set screw 24 extends through the gauging arm 16 into a holding member 26, slidably engaged within an elongated space 28 formed within the first leg 12 of the base 10.

A helical spring 30 may be disposed between an upper end 32 of the first leg 12 of the L-shaped base 10 and an upper surface 34 of the slidable holding member 26.

An elongated slot 36 may be formed in the second leg 14, of the L-shaped base 10, for receiving an existing threaded fastening means associated with the sewing plate of a domestic sewing machine. The base can thus be positioned so that the fabric guiding edge thereof will be spaced a desired and predetermined distance from the needle and pressure foot of the sewing machine for forming the buttonhole at a desired location spaced from the edge of the garment.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the salient parts of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in perspective view.

Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that the first leg portion 12 is formed with a raised track-like portion 40 and a flat planar portion 42, which is generally coplanar with the surface 44 of the second leg 14 of the base 10. The portions 12 and 14 may present lengths of from 2 to 3 inches each.

The gauging arm 16 is formed with a U-shaped portion 46 having an internal surface 48 configured to correspond to the external surface 50 of the track-like portion 40, of the overall L-shaped base 10. The gauging arm 16 is further formed with a clamping extension 54 which, when the surface 48 is fit flush against the surface 50 of the track-like portion 40, extends generally coplanar with the planar extension of the leg 14, so that a button may be impingedly held between the button contacting edge 19 of the gauging arm 16 and button contacting edge 17 of the second leg 14, (see FIG. 1).

The projection 22, extending from the U-shaped portion 46 of the gauging arm 16 and presenting the indicator marker 20, may be arranged to slide along the planar surface 42 of the first leg 12 of the L-shaped base 10. Due to this configuration, the markers 18 and 20 may be readily observed by a machine operator for assisting in gauging and guiding the machine needle in forming a buttonhole, indicated in FIG. 1 as B.

It will be noted that, as shown in FIG. 2, the threaded fastening means 24 may be inserted through an aperture 52 formed in the U-shaped portion 46 of the gauging arm 16 for threaded engagement within the holding member 26. Of course, it is not necessary that the gauging arm 16 be spring biased into engagement with the button. The gauging arm 54 may be positioned by the sewing machine operator and the set screw 24 engaged within a threaded aperture 60 formed in the holding member 26, so as to frictionally impinge the surface 48 of the gauging arm 16 against the surface 50 of the L- shaped base member 10.

Referring to FIG. 4, the preferred embodiment in the present invention is shown in an operational posture.

' The base portion 100 of a conventional, domestic sewing machine presents a sewing plate 102 and a needle 104 is operationally supported vertically with respect thereto. A transparent guide member 106 may be provided for buttonhole operations in some of the better quality sewing machines.

A machine operator removes a threaded fastening means 108, which is generally an existing member on the sewing machine, and positions the apparatus, according to present invention, with the closest edge 62 thereof aligned parallel with the leading edge 110 of the plate 102. The attachment is then shifted laterally along the slot 36 to a selected position wherein the fabric guiding edge 15 of the leg 12 is spaced a desired distance from the needle 104 corresponding to the required spacing of the buttonhole from the edge of the garment or fabric. The threaded fastening means 108 is then tightened down to secure the present invention in a proper operational posture.

The set screw 24 is then loosened and the gauging arm 16 moved away from the leg 14 to permit the placement of a button B there between. The gauging arm 16 is then released and the spring 30 forces the button contacting edge 19 thereof against the button to hold the button between edge 19 of the gauging member 16 and the edge 17 of the leg 14 of the base 10.

After the button B has been properly placed within the apparatus, according to the present invention, the

markers 18 and 20 are presented alongside the needle 104 so as to give an accurate indication, to a machine operator, as to the proper length of a buttonhole to be prepared in association with the specific button B.

It will be noted, that the marker 20 is formed with an indicating edge 64 disposed on the opposite side of the projection 22 from the indicating edge 66 of the marker 18. Due to this arrangement, a distance D is automatically added to the diameter of the button B to compensate for the necessary width of a buttonhole for permitting the proper insertion of the button therethrough.

SOME ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It can thus be seen that an improved buttonhole guiding and gauging apparatus has been herein described which is specifically adapted for domestic use. The apparatus according to the present invention solves some of the problems confronting machine operators today and is remarkably simple to use. Since the arrangement according to present invention is uniquely uncomplicated, devices according to the inventive arrangement are inexpensive to manufacture so as to present a practical consumer item.

The guiding and gauging arrangement, according to present invention, is adaptable to virtually any domestic sewing machine and no particular skill is needed in using the apparatus to achieve the desired results. Since the present invention displays a positive measurement of a precise buttonhole size for a particular button, which dimension need not be marked on the fabric itself, an operator may save much time and material in performing the difficult task of properly preparing buttonholes.

The various elements comprising the present invention cooperate in a synergistic manner whereby the resulting function of the overall apparatus exceeds the sum of the functions of the elements.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION While what has been shown herein is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is of course understood that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention. It is therefore intended to cover the following claims all such modifications and changes as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What I claim is:

l. A buttonhole gauging and guiding device adapted for use with a domestic sewing machine having a needle, said device comprising a generally L-shaped base having first and second leg portions disposed at right angles to each other; said first leg portion having a straight material guiding side, thereon engagable by the material in which a buttonhole is to be made; said second leg having a slot therein, means extending through said slot and into engagement with a stationary part of a sewing machine for securing said base on the sewing machine in a selected location with said material guiding side of said first leg spaced a selected distance from the needle of the sewing machine; a gauging arm slidably mounted on said first leg of the base and having a button contacting edge thereon extending parallel to and spaced from a complementary button contacting edge of the second leg of the base; said gauging arm being movable toward said second leg into a position wherein said complementary button contacting edges engage the opposite sides of a button designed to be passed through the buttonhole to be made; and indicating means located on said gauging arm and base adjacent said material guiding-side of the first leg; said indicating means being spaced apart a distance exceeding the distance between said complementary button contacting edges of said gauging arm and base to indicate the length ofa buttonhole of suitable size to receive the button, said first leg having a channel therein, said gauging arm having a portion thereof embracing a said channel in the first leg, a holding member being located in said channel and movable longitudinally of the first leg, and fastening means carried by said portion of the gauging arm engagable with said holding member to secure said gauging arm in position with the button contacting edge of the arm spaced a fixed distance from the button contacting edge of said second leg.

2. An apparatus according to claim I wherein said holding member is spring biased toward said second leg portion of said L-shaped base member. 

1. A buttonhole gauging and guiding device adapted for use with a domestic sewing machine having a needle, said device comprising a generally L-shaped base having first and second leg portions disposed at right angles to each other; said first leg portion having a straight material guiding side thereon engagable by the material in which a buttonhole is to be made; said second leg having a slot therein, means extending through said slot and into engagement with a stationary part of a sewing machine for securing said base on the sewing machine in a selected location with said material guiding side of said first leg spaced a selected distance from the needle of the sewing machine; a gauging arm slidably mounted on said first leg of the base and having a button contacting edge thereon extending parallel to and spaced from a complementary button contacting edge of the second leg of the base; said gauging arm being movable toward said second leg into a position wherein said complementary button contacting edges engage the opposite sides of a button designed to be passed through the buttonhole to be made; and indicating means located on said gauging arm and base adjacent said material guiding-side of the first leg; said indicating means being spaced apart a distance exceeding the distance between said complementary button contacting edges of said gauging arm and base to indicate the length of a buttonhole of suitable size to receive the button, said first leg having a channel therein, said gauging arm having a portion thereof embracing a said channel in the first leg, a holding member being located in said channel and movable longitudinally of the first leg, and fastening means carried by said portioN of the gauging arm engagable with said holding member to secure said gauging arm in position with the button contacting edge of the arm spaced a fixed distance from the button contacting edge of said second leg.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said holding member is spring biased toward said second leg portion of said L-shaped base member. 